deveikut

Deveikut is a Jewish mystical and devotional term that describes the state of cleaving to, or clinging to, God. The root dv-k means “to glue” or “to join,” so deveikut denotes a persistent attachment to God, a sense of closeness, and a constant awareness of the divine presence. In biblical and rabbinic usage, it conveys intense devotion and the desire to walk in God’s ways, sometimes described as “clinging” to the Almighty.

In Kabbalistic and Hasidic literature, deveikut becomes a technical goal: the attainment of a unity or close union with the divine, often after the soul has been purified and the passions tempered. The system associated with the Arizal (Isaac Luria) presents deveikut as a state in which prayer and action are performed with continual divine consciousness, so that daily life itself becomes an instrument of God’s presence. In Hasidic thought, deveikut is closely linked to heartfelt prayer, joyful worship, and the constant remembrance of God throughout ordinary tasks, seen as a remedy for distraction and alienation.

Practices associated with deveikut include cultivating kavvanah (intent) during prayer and study, maintaining awareness of God’s providence, and aligning conduct with divine will. It is typically discussed as a spiritual ideal rather than a ritual law, though it informs ethical, liturgical, and contemplative conduct.

In interpretation, deveikut emphasizes a dynamic relationship with God that acknowledges divine hiddenness as part of spiritual life. In modern Jewish thought, it remains a central ideal in various strands of mysticism and Hasidic spirituality, illustrating the aim of a sustained, conscious closeness to the divine presence.